AN actress collapsed on stage at the Leatherhead Theatre on Saturday night in an unwelcome addition to the drama.

Food poisoning was believed to be to blame for the unsavoury incident, which led to the Leatherhead Theatre Repertory Company performance being halted.

Audience members had initially thought the collapse of Louisa Lawrenson's character Enid was part of the plot of The Golden Pathway Annual, but in fact she had gone off script beforehand in an evidently confused state.

The professional actress from Bookham had fallen into the arms of Paul Jerricho who was playing her husband George, newly-returned from war. He was showing her a tattoo when she fell.

"From the moment she came on stage she wasn't properly focused but the scene went on," Paul said.

"At the end of the scene she started talking gibberish but still referring to me in character. She said 'I don't feel well, George'. I was extremely alarmed.

"And then when she collapsed - I've seen people faint before but this seemed to take on another dimension.

"I had to turn to the audience to say 'an actress has been taken ill, we can't go on with the play'.

"She was still talking, still calling me George. She appeared to be in character."

But Louisa, whose acting credits include Casualty, Inspector Morse and West End shows, cannot recall any of these moments.

"I was fine in the matinée," she said. "I had a soft cheese sandwich in between the shows and I felt a bit funny half-an-hour after the sandwich.

"I didn't feel great before the show but I thought 'the show must go on'.

"I remember at one point there were stars in front of my eyes, I remember reaching for a chair.

"I don't remember anything until being surrounded by people."

The audience was asked to wait in the foyer while Louisa, who is one of only four cast members and plays other characters in the production, was treated - but without any understudies available the play was abandoned.

Director Graham Pountney, who once acted in Howards' Way, said he would have been willing to stand in himself had it not been a woman's role.

"This is live theatre where there are no re-takes," he said. "We were all anxious for Louisa's health."

Paramedics treated Louisa outside the front of the theatre and blamed her illness on the sandwich.

She has felt fine since and was due to return to the stage for Tuesday night's showing (June 11).

The play will continue to run until Saturday, and audience members from the abandoned play have been offered tickets for this week's performances.